I Chronicles 4:9

And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren,.... The Targum adds,"and wiser in the law than his brethren;''or he might be a man of great wealth and riches, or of great strength and courage, all which make a man honourable; or he may be so called, because a praying man, as follows, a man of devotion and religion, a man of God, see Sa1 9:6, but who he was is not easy to say, probably a son or brother of Harum, or however that belonged to one of the families of Aharhel, mentioned in the preceding verse; for that he was Othniel, as say the Targumist and other Jewish writers (z), is not probable, and besides is after spoken of distinct from him, Ch1 4:13. and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, because I bare him with sorrow; either with sorrow for her husband, being dead, or by reason of very sharp pains she endured at the birth of him; he was another Benoni. (z) T. Bab. Temurah, fol. 16. 1.

In this chapter we have, I. A further account of the genealogies of the tribe of Judah, the most numerous and most famous of all the tribes. The posterity of Shobal the son of Hur (Ch1 4:1-4), of Ashur the posthumous son of Hezron (who was mentioned, Ch1 2:24), with something particular concerning Jabez (Ch1 4:5-10), of Chelub and others (Ch1 4:11-20), of Shelah (Ch1 4:21-23). II. An account of the posterity and cities of Simeon, their conquest of Gedon, and of the Amalekites in Mount Seir (v. 24-43).

4:9-20 The exact genealogies of the remaining descendants of Judah are unknown—the Chronicler apparently had incomplete information. 4:9-10 The section on Jabez stands independently, allowing the Chronicler to explain the origin of his name; he is not mentioned previously, although Jabez was listed as the name of a town inhabited by some of the descendants of Hur’s son Salma (2:55). Jabez apparently received his name because he caused his mother pain, a fulfillment of the curse on Eve (Gen 3:16). Although his name was a curse, he was more honorable than any of his brothers, and his prayer changed the outcome of his life. The prayer is poetic; it consists of a plea for blessing followed by requests for prosperity and protection from harm. His last request might mean “keep me from causing trouble and pain.” God listened to his prayer and removed his curse.